We first met Kelly Clarkson in 2002 on American Idol. She won the competition and wowed everyone with a duet of “Does He Love You” alongside her idol, Reba McEntire, during the finale. After that, she signed with RCA Records and has since released 10 studio albums, earning countless accolades for her powerful voice and stellar songwriting.
While her career has been a dream come true, her love life has been far from perfect. Kelly missed some major red flags and is still dealing with the fallout. This story is a cautionary tale, so take notes, besties. And remember, “If you hate it when we get our karaoke on because of you, I’m a keep singing in every video.” It’s all in good fun.
Kelly’s efforts to forge a different path, she ended up repeating the same harmful generational patterns.
Kelly was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 24, 1982, as the youngest of three children. When she was six, her parents divorced. Her sister went to live with their aunt, her brother stayed with their dad, and Kelly remained with her mom. In an interview, Kelly shared that her dad cut off all contact with her and her mom after the divorce. She tried reaching out to him over the years, but he always rejected her. She described their relationship as toxic and wondered if he was even capable of love. Eventually, she realized she had to walk away. She said, “If someone creates such a harmful environment and keeps hurting you, even if they don’t realize it, you shouldn’t keep them in your life.” Her difficult relationship with her dad inspired her to write the 2004 song “Because Of You,” with lyrics like: “Because of you, I try my hardest just to forget everything, because of you, I don’t know how to let anyone else in, because of you, I’m ashamed of my life because it’s empty, because of you, I am afraid.”
Kelly told The Mirror that her dad remarried and had two sons with his second wife. Her mom also remarried but later divorced again. Kelly felt that her parents’ failed relationships influenced her own struggles with relationships. She dated American Idol competitor Justin Guarini, Graham Colton of the Graham Colton Band, and Ryan Key of Yellowcard, but something always seemed missing. She later told People magazine that she never felt sexually attracted to anyone and for a long time thought she might be asexual.
In 2006, Kelly Clarkson was performing at the Academy of Country Music Awards alongside Rascal Flatts. It was there that she first saw Rascal Flatts’ tour manager, Brandon Blackstock. Kelly later told People magazine, “When he walked by, I felt my body tingle. I’d never been turned on like that before. I thought, ‘Oh, so that’s what they meant in ‘Waiting to Exhale.'” They didn’t speak, and Brandon was married at the time.
Six years later, in 2012, Kelly’s manager Narvel Blackstock, who was married to her idol Reba McEntire, mentioned that his son Brandon was getting divorced. Kelly and Brandon finally met at the Super Bowl that year, where she was set to sing the National Anthem with her friend Blake Shelton, who Brandon was managing. Kelly felt a lot of pressure to impress Brandon with her performance. After she nailed it, Brandon came up to her and mentioned they were from the same hometown. With the alcohol flowing, Kelly told him, “Oh, we’re so getting married.”
Brandon saw a lollipop and couldn’t resist taking a lick—well, sort of. Kelly told Ryan Seacrest that she and Brandon were taking things slow and just enjoying each other’s company. She still thought a lot about her parents’ failed marriage, but she was determined to stay positive. She said, “I come from a family with a lot of broken marriages, but we’re definitely going to break that trend one day.” She added, “I’m totally in love with him, and he knows it.”
They got engaged in December 2012, and Kelly was thrilled to show off her canary yellow diamond engagement ring. In an interview with People magazine, she admitted that her happiness was making it harder to write songs, but she couldn’t wait to become Mrs. Blackstock. Reba was over the moon about welcoming Kelly into the family, telling ET Online, “Having my buddy as my daughter-in-law, who could ask for more?” Everything seemed perfect, right?
Kelly and Brandon got married in October 2013, and just a month later, she announced they were expecting their first child together. But things got complicated pretty quickly. In December 2013, just two months into their marriage, a woman claimed on a website called “The Dirty” that she was having an emotional affair with Brandon through text messages. Then, another woman came forward, saying she and Brandon had hooked up at an after-party for “The Voice,” where Brandon was hanging out with Blake Shelton, one of his clients at the time.
A source close to Brandon’s ex-wife told the press that Brandon had a long history of cheating, and friends were worried about Kelly. The source said, “She finally thought her dream of getting married and having a baby had come true, but it’s turning into a nightmare.” Kelly fired back on Twitter, asking the anonymous sources to stop spreading lies. Even Brandon’s ex-wife jumped in, telling Radar Online that the rumors were ridiculous and that she adored Kelly and Brandon as a couple.
Kelly and Brandon welcomed their daughter, River Rose, in 2014. But the drama didn’t stop there. In 2015, Brandon’s dad, Narvel, blindsided his wife, Reba, by filing for divorce after 25 years of marriage. Reba told CMT Radio Live, “The divorce was not my idea. I didn’t want it in any shape, form, or fashion, so it was really hard to adjust.” Since Narvel had been her manager for so long and their lives were so intertwined, Reba had to pick up the pieces and start over on her own. She left Narvel and his management company behind and started managing herself through her own company.
Their divorce was finalized in December 2015, and Narvel wasted no time moving on. By January 2016, Page Six reported that Narvel was dating Laura Putty Stroud, a woman who was actually a mutual friend of Reba and Narvel.
While we’re not suggesting that Narvel’s betrayal towards Reba meant Brandon would do the same to Kelly, it’s unfortunate that Kelly didn’t see the warning signs from her in-laws. Hiring Brandon as her manager was a major red flag, as mixing business with pleasure rarely ends well.
Kelly and Brandon welcomed their son, Remington, in 2016. This milestone made Kelly reflect on her relationship with her father. She couldn’t fathom how her dad could abandon her, a concept unimaginable to her as a parent. Watching Brandon’s loving interactions with their children was both heartwarming and painful, given her own father’s absence. Yet, it showcased the depth of a father’s love.
During this period, things seemed perfect between Kelly and Brandon. She shared with Redbook, “To keep it family-appropriate, let’s say we’re just a lot more active than other couples.” Professionally, Brandon was propelling her career forward, securing her a role as a coach on The Voice in 2017, alongside their mutual friend, Blake Shelton.
Star Magazine reported that Kelly had met with divorce lawyers, but given the magazine’s reputation, no one took the allegations seriously. Kelly’s dad passed away in 2019, and performing the songs she wrote about him without breaking down in tears was tough for her. Then the pandemic hit. Kelly, Brandon, and their kids were quarantined at their ranch in Montana. By that time, Kelly was hosting her own talk show and was filming remote episodes from the ranch. The pandemic saw many marriages crumble, and Kelly and Brandon’s was no exception. In June 2020, Kelly filed for divorce. Despite her best efforts to avoid repeating her parents’ mistakes, she found herself in a broken marriage, just like them. The divorce proceedings quickly turned into a chaotic mess.
So, what went wrong? According to an insider who spoke to Us Weekly, Kelly lost trust in Brandon, feeling he was using her for her money. “The marriage was really, really awful at the end,” the insider said. Kelly had many questions that Brandon couldn’t answer. Another insider told Us Weekly that Brandon was extremely jealous of Kelly’s success. His jealousy was so apparent that it made Kelly feel guilty about all she had accomplished.
Kelly told E! Online that she had even started to dim her own light to keep the peace in her relationship with Brandon, and her ego made her stay with him longer than she should have. Thankfully, there was a prenup in place, but Brandon decided to challenge it anyway. With Kelly and the kids living in LA and Brandon holed up at their Montana ranch, a judge ruled that the prenup was valid. This meant Kelly would keep much of her money, including her estimated $20 million in annual earnings and the Montana ranch. Kelly wanted to sell the ranch, but Brandon was still living there and wasn’t about to move without a fight. He told the court he wanted to give up his job as a music manager and become a full-time rancher. Why would he do that? Mainly because he lost his two biggest clients. Not only did Kelly fire him, but Blake did too, as a sign of solidarity with Kelly, whom he’s been friends with for nearly two decades. An insider told Us Weekly that Blake could easily find another music manager, but his friendship with Kelly was forever. Brandon argued he needed to stay at the ranch to make a living as a rancher. The judge later decided that if Brandon wanted to stay, he would be responsible for the cost of maintaining the ranch, about $81,000 per month. Eventually, Brandon decided to move out. He had to pay Kelly $12,500 per month in rent until he finally left. Kelly gave him a little over five percent ownership in the multi-million dollar estate, and Brandon bought a $1.8 million home on 40 acres in a nearby city. After Kelly was awarded primary physical custody, Brandon tried to get everything he thought he was owed.
He might not admit it, but in December 2020, Brandon made some pretty hefty demands. He asked for $301,000 per month in spousal support and $135,000 per month in child support from Kelly. On top of that, he wanted $2 million to cover his legal fees. But it didn’t stop there—his company, Starstruck Management Group, which his dad was also part of, sued Kelly for $1.4 million in unpaid commissions for her work on The Voice and The Kelly Clarkson Show. It seemed like Brandon and his dad were playing a game against Kelly and Reba. Kelly fought back, revealing that Brandon was never a legally certified talent agent during the 13 years he managed her career, and she demanded he pay back all the commissions and fees he had received. In the end, the judge ordered Kelly to pay Brandon $150,000 per month in spousal support and $45,601 per month in child support, along with $1.25 million for his attorney fees. Ouch.
In August 2023, during a performance in Las Vegas, Kelly threw some serious shade at Brandon and his dad while singing a cover of the TikTok viral song “A-B-C-D-E-F-U.” She switched up the lyrics to, “Broken heart, turn that into art. Thank you. Any of you from the valley? I’m all too foreign.” Looking back on her marriage, she told People magazine she had no regrets, though she admitted to missing a lot of warning signs. She even joked that she might call her next album “Red Flag Collector.”
Did we miss any red flags in Kelly and Brandon’s relationship? Let us know in the comments,